A Negative Question to Create a Better Event

A few days ago I was lucky enough to interview Dave Pietrowski, the organizer of the World’s Largest Disco. Dave is a gold mine of event promotion information collected over the last 14 years. I want to share with you one simple idea Dave mentioned that you could easily incorporate into your next event.

What Didn’t They LikeDave’s simple idea revolves around sending a follow up email immediately after your event. As soon as the Disco finishes an email is sent to event attendees. The email starts by thanking the attendee for their support and contains one simple question, “What didn’t you like about the event?” Some people might think, that’s too simple or why not ask more questions. In the customer service world, simple is always the way to go.

Being ProactiveThe thank you email and question accomplishes two important things. First, it is sent immediately after the event finishes. That’s when people’s thoughts are fresh in their minds. If you wait a few days, people might forget helpful information that you could use. Second, a counterintuitive question is asked, “What didn’t you like about the event?” The question is counterintuitive from an event organizer standpoint. Most event organizers only want to hear about the positives. By asking what your attendees didn’t like it compels you to raise the quality of your event. It also shows your attendees that you’re serious about making your event better. People are much more willing to attend events where they know the organizer is going out of their way to deliver value and improve upon.

If you have an upcoming event that is reoccurring, think about using the simple technique outlined above. As a side note, if you aren’t on my mailing list, you’re probably going to want to join. I’ll be emailing my subscribers a link of an upcoming audio interview where Dave is going to share some of his best stuff. Want to get more great info? Check out the articles below: